Chapter 83 Schemes
Inside the apartment, the atmosphere was somewhat heavy. Da Huo stood at the door, its ears still perked up, occasionally spitting out a few sparks filled with discontent.
Zhou Min said worriedly, "That Shen Yao is obviously no good! And that woman, she actually launched a sneak attack! So insidious!" She looked at Ruan Ning, her face full of worry, "Ruan Ning, we've completely offended him. This kind of person values face above all else. Being rejected in front of so many people, and having your subordinates beaten up by you, he definitely won't let it go so easily."
Lin Yan wiped her short blade, her movements more forceful than usual: "They're from the Shen family in the capital, a powerful force. They might not openly cause trouble at the Dawn Base, but it would be too easy for them to trip us up or find opportunities to attack us from the shadows. Besides, they've got their eyes on Da Huo..." She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear: their target was specific and they were greedy.
Ruan Ning was rinsing several cups with the condensed water when she heard this. Without stopping, she calmly asked, "What's the use of worrying?"
Zhou Min and Lin Yan were taken aback.
“He wants a blazing fire, but he wants my life even more,” Ruan Ning placed her cup on the small table, looked up, her gaze cold and sharp. “It’s not because I rejected him today, but because he thinks we are ‘resources’ and ‘obstacles’ that can be taken away and erased. If I give in today, he will only push his luck and take what he wants in a cheaper way. If I fight back today, at least I will let him know that there is a price to pay for taking things by force.”
She paused, then continued, "We'll meet force with force and water with earth. Inside the base, they have to consider the attitude of the Dawn government and the superficial rules between the capital base, so they dare not openly launch a large-scale attack. Beware of their underhanded tricks, and improving ourselves is the best response."
Zhou Min took a deep breath: "You're right, being afraid is useless. It's just frustrating!"
Lin Yan nodded, her eyes regaining their resolve: "We're a team. If they want to harm you and Da Huo, they'll have to ask us first."
Ruan Ning looked at her two teammates, and a faint warmth seemed to flicker in her icy eyes.
She pushed the water she had poured towards them: "Take this time to rest and cultivate. Strength will always be our greatest asset. Da Huo," she looked towards the door, "you too, quickly familiarize yourself with and master the power of the third tier, especially the balance between control and explosive power."
The dog let out a low growl and nodded its head forcefully, its eyes flashing with ferocity, clearly still remembering the woman who tried to steal it and attack Ruan Ning during the day.
On the other side, inside a well-maintained detached building in the core area of the base.
Shen Yao leaned back on the soft leather sofa, toying with an exquisite metal lighter in his hand, his eyes dark and unfathomable.
Liu Jing sat opposite him, her arm already treated with basic first aid, but her expression remained grim. The bespectacled man—Li Wei—sat at a nearby table, rapidly operating his portable microcomputer.
"Have you found out?" Shen Yao asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
Li Wei adjusted his glasses and looked at the screen: "Ruan Ning, female, 20 years old, registered as a water-type ability user, rank... the base records state she's at level two, early stage, but based on today's combat energy fluctuation data, she's at least at level two, and may even be approaching the threshold of level three. She belongs to a small civilian ability user team, whose members are Zhou Min (psychic perception type, peak level one) and Lin Yan (strength type, early stage two). This team was recently formed, but has a high mission completion rate and has been very active recently. She has no obvious background and is suspected to have arrived at Dawn Base alone after the apocalypse."
"That mutated golden retriever, registered as 'Big Fire,' is a third-tier fire-type mutated beast with an official identity ring, bound to Ruan Ning. The taming process is unknown, but the mental link is extremely stable."
Shen Yao scoffed: "A second-tier advanced water-type? To be able to so easily block Liu Jing's sneak attack and counterattack, Liu Jing, do you think she's just a second-tier advanced?"
Liu Jing's expression darkened further: "Her water-based ability is very strange, her control is incredibly refined, and the energy is extremely pure. My metal-based attacks are severely countered. She also has extremely rich combat experience and an extraordinary reaction speed."
“It’s not just about combat experience,” Shen Yao’s eyes turned cold, “it’s about ruthless characters who have killed and seen blood. That kind of look and reaction isn’t something you can develop in a greenhouse. It seems this small place really does harbor hidden talents.” He paused, “However, no matter how fierce a tiger is, if it hasn’t grown up to be a force to be reckoned with, it’s just a fall from grace.”
Li Wei asked, "Young Master Yao, what do you mean? Should we stick to the original plan and try to recruit or trade?"
"Recruit?" Shen Yao seemed to have heard a joke. "A woman who dared to hit me in front of me and rejected my 'kindness' without hesitation, do you think you can recruit her? Even if you do, she'll be an ungrateful wolf."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the base as dusk settled outside: "I originally just had my eye on that dog, thinking it was a pretty good thing. Now... I've changed my mind."
He turned around, his face devoid of any of the fake smile he had worn during the day, replaced only by coldness and cruelty: "I want the dog. And that woman named Ruan Ning... I want her dead too."
A hint of pleasure and ruthlessness flashed in Liu Jing's eyes: "It should have been done long ago! What an arrogant and ignorant wretch! Young Master Yao, what should we do? It's too risky to take action in the base."
“Of course we can’t just act recklessly.” Shen Yao walked back to the sofa and sat down, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest. “Find out their team’s mission patterns and which areas they frequently go to. Find an opportunity to take them out outside the base. Create some ‘accidents,’ such as encountering a powerful horde of mutated beasts, or being ambushed and killed by other ‘greedy survivors.’ Aren’t enough people dying outside Dawn Base every day?”
He looked at Li Wei: "Li Wei, use your connections to find out their activity patterns. Also, see if you can find some 'collaborators' in the Dawn Base, like those with old grudges against them. I heard that the Thunder Leopard Squad has suffered heavy losses recently, and they also have some issues with Ruan Ning?"
Li Wei nodded: "Understood. The Thunder Leopard Squad did have some friction with Ruan Ning, but there was no direct conflict. The Thunder Leopard Squad is currently weakened and needs resources and a backer."
Shen Yao smiled with satisfaction: "Very good. Make contact with that Lei Bao, give him some sweetness, and make him our eyes and ears, or a useful knife. Remember, do it cleanly, don't leave any evidence."
"Yes, Young Master Yao."
Liu Jing couldn't help but ask, "That dog?"
"A dog?" A determined glint flashed in Shen Yao's eyes. "Once Ruan Ning is dead, that dog will naturally fall into our hands. A third-tier fire-type mutated beast, and a well-tamed one at that, is priceless. Taking it back, whether for our own use or as a gift to our family, would be a great achievement."
Dusk completely enveloped the small building, and the indoor lights cast the three people's shadows on the wall, distorted and eerie.
A conspiracy targeting Ruan Ning and her team began to be quietly woven under the cover of darkness. The prey was not entirely unaware of this, but the roles of hunter and prey are not always fixed.
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